Why Not Build It (Milo Mead, 1903)

Source: Greenwich Graphic. March 21, 1903. Page 3.


Editor of the Graphic:

There is to be another application by the Ridgefield and Port Chester railroad company to the legislature of the State of Connecticut. It allows more time to finish the building of the road. It is said by some persons that the New York and New Haven Company, owns the road that has been de__d. 

If that company does not own it, who does own it? Does a man in this town own it, if he does perhaps it would be a wise plan for him to toss up a penny to decide whether it should be finished or not. He might say, heads finish the road, tails wait two years longer, before the work is begun. Those who advocate an extension of the time, at least it is not publicly stated, is it because it is such an immense work.

The road is only thirty-one miles long, there are men in this town, who would have the work done in ___ months if they had a clear course. There has been enough work done in New Lebanon in that time to nearly half ___ the road. For instance Church ____ one thousand cubic yards, Richard _____ hundred and sixty cubic yards, Oak Street about eight hundred cubic yards of excavation and the blasting of the ledge of about fifteen hundred cubic yards. It seems as if men of business would be ashamed to make the proposition, so many times without doing anything. They would, only there is supposed to be a ___at under the meal. 

This plan of extension of time, might be compared to "a dog in a manger," he won't eat the ha_ himself nor let the oxen eat it. Take a pitch fork and rout him out, let this child's play of "make believe" and tomfoolery be stopped. If the Ridgefield and Port Chester railroad company means business, let them go to work now, the f___ is out of the ground thirty-one miles ____ railroad ought to be finished by the fourth of July without any extension of time. Here is an example in what is called the rule of three, they talk of building a railroad the whole length of the two American continents. North and South America, if it takes twenty years to propose to build thirty one miles of a railroad in Connecticut, how long would it take to build a road the whole length of North and South America.

MILO MEAD

New Lebanon. March 17th, 1603*

*In the published text the year is mistakenly stated as 1603, whereas it should be 1903.